Recorded in: London Coliseum 2, 8 & 21 August 1973 Producer(s) Robert Kinloch Anderson Sound Engineer(s) Stuart Eltham Robert Gooch

Ivan Fischer makes his DNO debut. He conducts the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Pierre Audi, artistic director of DNO and the Holland Festival, directs his firest new DNO production since Saint Francois d'Assise (2008). For Parsifal Audi once again joins forces with the British scultpr Anish Kapoor. Alejandro Marco-Buhrmester previously sang the role of Amfortas at the Opera National de Paris and the Bayreuther Festpiele. Kurt Rhdl made previous DNO appearances as Hagen/Hunding in Der Ring de sNibelungen and as Heinrich in Lohengrin. Kurt Rydl has been an honorary member of the Wiener Staatsoper since 1999. Falk Struckmann has frequently sung the role of Amfortas, but now makes his first DNO appearance in his role debut as Gurnemanz. The title role is sung by Christopher Ventris, who previously appeared at DNO as Steuermann in Der fliegende Hollander. Petra Lang previously sang Brangane in Tristan und Isolde and Venus in Tannhauser at DNO. ''There were no weak links in teh cast. Amfortas sounded suitably pained, very wobbly vibrato for it, but this very much worked. Gurnemanz was stoic and powerful. Klingsor was a rounded and full bass. Kundry has a truly bewitching voice, very powerful. Parsifal was definitely the stand out, always rising above the orchestra, his voice conveyed each emotion perfectly but was always perfectly clear and pure. Ivan Fischer's interpretation is calm, subdued, crystal clear, chamber-like. It is generally brisk, but extremely flexible, and follows Wagner's tempo changes to the letter. Nonetheless, one cannot help but be carried along with the waves of music, so that the final chords are absolutely overwhelming. The Concertgebouw, characteristically played stupendously. Beautiful phrasing, incredibly unity, and they just sound so incredibly beautiful. (Operalively.com)

Following the Walhall release of Wagner’s Die Walküre, the label closes its legendary 1958 Bayreuth Festival Ring tetralogy publication with the 1st, 3rd and final operas, led by the mid-20th c. Bayreuth pit regular and esteemed Wagnerian conductor Hans Knappertsbusch. The sound, benefitting from 24bit/96kHz re-mastering technology is great, far better than any other label’s previous issue, Walhall also reaping the sound reward from the use of the original broadcast mastertapes. Featured Wagnerian vocal luminaries include Hotter, Windgassen, Varnay, Konya, Grümmer, et al.

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The Walhall Eternity label is for the first time releasing in it's entirety the legendary 1959 Covent Garden Ring cycle of Richard Wagner conducted by Franz Konwitschny, performances that feature the finest Wagnerian voices of the 1950's, including Wolfgang Windgassen, Hans Hotter, Astrid Varnay, Ramon Vinay, Amy Shuard (student of Eva Turner and Covent Garden regular), Gottlob Frick and more. Franz Konwitschny's gripping interpretations lie comfortably between those of F�rtw�ngler's commanding heights supremacy and Solti's fire and spontaneity. Re-mastered 24bit/96kHz.

It is over 15 years since Neeme Järvi and the RSNO made a new recording for Chandos. So it is with great pleasure that we announce this recording which marks Järvi's return to Scotland in his capacity as Conductor Laureate at the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. This 67-minute, orchestra-only version of Wagner's famous opera cycle, 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' is arranged by Henk de Vlieger, arranger, composer and percussionist in the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic. The work was commissioned by the orchestra ad the result is a 14-section fiery musical spectacle entitled 'The Ring, an orchestral adventure'. this symphonic 'compilation' compresses Wagner's four might Ring operas, yet includes all the major themes and 'leitmotifs'. The result is an overwhelming experience and a must for anyone who loves blazing orchestral colours. The Minneapolis Tribune wrote, 'The way that De Vlieger has created transitions between scenes and acts is quite ingenious...' 'Bits of Rheingold, Walkure, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung floated past, melded together as if some Wagnerian superman who understood the whole and articulated it in particular. Highlights were everywhere. Horns, sounded offstage and on, reminded listeners of the great arias, without the singers to sing it...Toward the end, it actually seemed like we had experienced the entire Ring cycle - a tribute to the orchestrator's talents,' wrote the Boston Herald following a performance of the work. Coupled to this mighty work is 'Siegfried Idyll', which is thematically related to the Ring, and although with quite a different subject matter, complements the 'Orchestral Adventure' perfectly.

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From the private collection of the late, great dramatic soprano Martha Mödl comes this 1955 live broadcast recording of Richard Wagner’s Die Walküre, captured in excellent MONO sound and differing from the Testament label Die Walküre release of the same year’s performance with the same conductor (Joseph Keilberth) in both its sound (stereo) and, ever so slightly, in cast, first and foremost in the case of Ms. Mödl as Brünnhilde, but both, of course, first-rate dream casts. The other glorious, featured voices from this production include Astrid Varnay, Ramon Vinay, Josef Greindl and Hans Hotter.

Bayreuth in the 1950s was annual summer home to the greatest cast of Wagnerian singers in the opera world, as the numerous and thankfully recorded performances from that house in that decade reveal. This 1957 performance of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg has as its female lead Elisabeth Grümmer in the role of Eva, whom some argue was the character’s finest interpreter. Conducted by the fine French Wagnerian André Cluytens, other cast members include Gustav Neidlinger and Joseph Greindl. Complete on 4CDs; 24bit/96kHz re-mastered.

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